Process for the destruction of animal and vegetable parasites in the soil.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZ HILTNER, OF MUNICH, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PARASITES IN THEPatented Aug. 19,1913.

SOIL.

1,070,808; Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZ HILTNER, professor, a subject of the GermanEmperor, residing at Munich, Bavaria, Germany, have invented a certainnew and useful Process for the Destruction of Vegetable and AnimalParasites in the Soil, of which the following is a specification.

Anthracene oil, cresol, crude cresol and similar substances have provedto be valuable for the extermination of vegetable and animal parasitesin the ground. I Vhen introduced into the ground these substances actsimilarly to bisulfid of carbon, that is to say, they first destroy bytheir poisonous action the animal and vegetable parasites in the ground,also the seeds of weeds, etc., after which they themselves are graduallydecomposed, and the ground now appears more fruitful than before. Thepractical use of anthracene oil, cresol, crude cresol and similarsubstances for the destruction of ground parasites and seeds of weeds ofall kinds, and for increasing the fertility of the earth is, however,impeded by the fact, that after these substances have been introducedinto the ground a fairly long time elapses before their decomposition iscompleted and the ground can be sown with cultivated plants again. Nowexperiments have shown, that the decomposition of the aforesaidsubstances in the ground is very considerably accelerated, if they bemixed with humus or substances rich in humus, such as turf meal, bogearth, etc. Instead of the pure exterminating agents the preparationsobtained by mixing them with humus, etc., according to the presentinvention are introduced into the ground. In addition to thesesubstances others containing food stuffs for micro-organisms may also bemixed with the anthracene oil, etc.

In addition to being used for the treatment of the ground, preparationsof the kind described may also be used with advantage in the preparationof composts and for the preservation of stable manure. IVhen the stablemanure so treated with anthracene oil, etc., is introduced into theApplication filed February 23, 1910. Serial No. 545,516.

ground, the above described reactions take place.

The time, within which the decomposition of anthracene oil, cresol,etc., mixed with humus or substances rich in humus, is completed, afterthey have been introduced into the ground, depends in the first place onthe nature of the latter, the degree of moisture thereof andparticularly upon the temperature. The process of decomposition goes onmost quickly in the summer, provided that the necessary moisture is notlacking to too great an extent.

As an admixture to the aforesaid agents for the extermination ofparasites in the ground, turf mixed with'lime is particularly worthy ofconsideration. Mixtures of anthracene oil, cresol, etc., with carbonateof lime or quicklime or with manures rich in lime, such as Thomas-meal,raw phosphate, and above all with acid super-phosphate, may also beused, where a specially powerful act-ion is not important.

What I claim is 1. The process for the destruction of vegetable andanimal parasites in the ground by means of anthracene oil, whichconsists in introducing into the ground a mixture of anthracene oil witha material adapted to accelerate the decomposition of said anthraceneoil, substantially as described.

2. The process for the destruction of vege table and animal parasites inthe ground by means of anthracene oil, which consists in introducinginto the ground a mixture of anthracene oil with materials adapted toserve as food for micro-organisms, for the purpose of accelerating thedecomposition of said anthracene oil, substantially as described.

3. The process for the destruction of vegetable and animal parasites inthe ground by means of anthracene oil, which consists in introducinginto the ground a mixture of anthracene oil with humus, in order toaccelerate the decomposition of said anthracene oil, substantially asdescribed.

4. The process for the destruction of vege table and animal parasites inthe ground by my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LORENZ HILTNER.

Witnesses FRANZ RIEDL, ANTON HAUPDERHOFER.

